Baiocco Confirmation Signals the Beginning of a New Paradigm at CPSC

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Yesterday the U.S. Senate confirmed Dana Baiocco (pronounced “Bee Awe Co”) as a Commissioner for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission with a term that runs through October of 2024. The confirmation took over eight months from Baiocco’s initial nomination last September and came over sixteen months into the Trump administration. Baiocco’s confirmation signals the shift to an eventual Republican majority at the CPSC for the first time since 2006.

Baiocco, a Republican, is replacing Democratic Commissioner Marti Robinson whose term expired in October of 2017. Robinson has remained on the Commission in a hold-over year but will roll off once Baiocco is sworn in as a Commissioner.

Once Baiocco is sworn in, the CPSC will be balanced equally with two Republicans and two Democrats. The Republicans will be Baiocco and Acting Chairman Ann Marie Buerkle. The two Democrats will be Commissioner, and former Chairman, Elliot Kaye and Commissioner Bob Adler.

The Senate is also still considering President Trump’s nomination of Acting Chairman Buerkle for the permanent Chairman position and a second term as Commissioner. Because Buerkle’s nomination has been pending since last July and she has been in the minority as Acting Chairman since last February, there has been growing unrest among and mounting pressure from major industry groups to swiftly push her nomination through the Senate.

The fifth Commissioner position, which became vacant after the departure of former Commissioner Joe Mohorovic last October, still remains open. President Trump is expected to nominate a new Republican Commissioner to fill this position soon. Once the fifth Commissioner is confirmed, the agency will have a Republican majority for the first time during Buerkle’s tenure as Chairman.

The CPSC issued a press release about Baiocco’s confirmation in which Acting Chairman Buerkle said “Ms. Baiocco brings to the Commission strategic experience in product safety, extensive knowledge of public policy with consumer products and a deep understanding of how companies can be proactive in improving the safety of their products.”

Baiocco also included a statement in the CPSC’s press release, stating:

I am honored to be joining an agency with an enduring and proud legacy of protecting consumers. At a time of ever more complex and technically advanced products coming to market, I look forward to working with the leadership of Acting Chairman Buerkle and the Commission to meet emerging challenges in product safety as well as ensuring that CPSC’s core mission of protecting the public is done in the most responsive manner.”

Anticipating Baiocco’s confirmation, Commissioner Robinson sent an agency wide email on Monday afternoon saying thank you to CPSC staff. Notably, the email did not say goodbye and, in her final blog post, she closed by saying: “Although my term as CPSC Commissioner is now coming to a close, I am not done advocating for safe consumer products. I look forward to continuing this conversation about safety and working with all stakeholders in the future.”

Matt is a prominent consumer product safety lawyer who advises manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, trade associations, and test laboratories. He has extensive experience with compliance, regulatory enforcement, recalls, and other product safety related issues. He represents clients before the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Health Canada, the Federal Trade Commission, Congress, and state agencies. Matt draws on his four-year tenure as the CPSC chief of staff and his many years advising clients in private practice to devise practical and...

Chuck is engaged in a federal and international regulatory and legislative practice. He has been extensively involved in product safety, environmental, tax, health care, technology, and energy issues, and public finance legislative and regulatory matters for a variety of trade associations, corporations, local governments, and state agencies.

His practice encompasses work before the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, Departments of State, Health and Human Services, Energy, and Treasury, US Trade Representative, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Trade Commission, the IRS, and other federal and state agencies. He also has extensive experience dealing with Canada, the European Commission, and international bodies.

Chuck also engages in trade association representation and antitrust counseling. As general counsel of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Chuck negotiated and drafted the amendments to the Consumer Product Safety Act and the National Appliance Energy Conservation Act, and represents the appliance industry at international bodies dealing with safety, energy, ozone depletion, and global warming.

Before joining Mintz Levin, Chuck practiced regulatory law with a law firm in Chicago and then worked in the Executive Office of the President before entering private practice in Washington.

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